Taylor Swift’s new album has helped drive the biggest weekly vinyl sales in 30 years – but is our rediscovered love for owning records environmentally reckless?
PVC (polyvinyl chloride), the plastic from which records are traditionally made, is not good for the planet, and concerns have also been raised about packaging as vinyl sales have increased in recent years.
Rou Reynolds, lead singer of rock band Enter Shikari, believes mainstream artists need to take some responsibility to “drive” change.
“The bigger you are as an artist, the more influence you have, the more you can move things forward and accelerate progress,” he says.
In an interview with Billboard in March, Billie Eilish criticized how “it’s a waste” when “some of the biggest artists in the world” make “40 different vinyl packs” each with “a different, unique thing just to keep you going shopping”. more”.
“It’s a reasonable criticism,” says Reynolds, “but I think it will basically dissipate once it becomes the standard to use BioVinyl, for example – that will really eliminate the possibility of criticism.”
Instead of making logs from normal PVC pellets, in recent years it has become possible to use renewable sources such as cooking oil or wood pulp.
Enter Shikari’s Rou Reynolds, pictured on stage in 2023, says artists need to lead the way. Photo: Graham Finney/Cover images via AP
“Traditional vinyl is an oil-based product,” explains Reynolds. “No one really wants to support the extraction of more fossil fuels.”
Enter Shikari now insists that all his records be made using BioVinyl, and Reynolds is optimistic that if more artists make demands about what their records are made of, this would become the new norm.
“A lot of independent artists, like me, can light that fire, then it spreads and before you know it, it becomes the industry standard.”
‘The advances are incredible’
Karen Emanuel, chief executive of Key Production Group, has worked in the industry for 35 years
The leading voices in vinyl production want the music industry to listen.
“Together with the Vinyl Alliance and the Vinyl Records Manufacturers Association, we are looking at the entire production chain,” says Karen Emanuel, chief executive of Key Production, the UK’s largest physical music production broker.
“I’ve been in the business for probably about 35 years and the advances that have been made are incredible. Many of the big plastics companies, for PVC, have found a way to replace fossil fuel elements. [which] can mean a reduction of up to 90% in vinyl’s carbon footprint.”
The problem, at the moment, is the cost.
“It’s a little more expensive to make, but if enough people make it, the price will come down…it’s something we’re really trying to encourage people to do.”
Would fans be happy to pay more for a more environmentally friendly product?
Lee Jeffries, from Sonic Wax in Leicestershire, owns the most expensive Motown record in the world. Photo: Sonic Wax
Lee Jefferies, owner of Leicestershire-based vinyl pressing factory Sonic Wax Pressing, is a huge vinyl lover who spent £100,000 buying the world’s most valuable Motown record.
“Ultimately, it all works from retail,” he says. “And with vinyl retail prices already quite high, it’s very difficult for people to have extra money to buy biodegradable vinyl.”
But a recent survey by Key Production found that more than two-thirds (69%) of vinyl buyers indicated they would be encouraged to buy more if the records were made with a reduced environmental impact.
The findings also revealed that the vast majority, 77%, of regular vinyl customers are willing to pay a premium for low-impact products, signaling significant market demand for environmentally friendly alternatives.
Is there a bigger problem?
Ultimately, the consumer, artists or record labels will have to bear the costs for vinyl to be produced in a more sustainable way.
But while a big ol’ piece of PVC may seem like the least environmentally friendly option, are we getting confused when we should also be looking in another direction?
Figures from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) put global vinyl sales last year at around 80 million – using independent music companies association IMPALA’s music emissions calculator, which produces around 156 thousand tons of CO2 emissions.
See more information:
UK vinyl sales reach highest level since 1990
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If we compare this to streaming alone Spotify – responsible for around a third of the market – its own estimates for its global carbon emissions were 280,000 tonnes last year, with vast amounts of electricity being used to power your data storage servers.
For Enter Shikari’s Reynolds, the potential to make vinyl greener is exciting.
“It’s the same quality, the same look, you really wouldn’t notice the difference, which is amazing,” he says. “I think it speaks to, you know, a lot of times people think that the transition that society is about to go through, we think we’re going to lose luxuries… but I think this is just an example of why that’s not the case. the case.
“You know, all it takes is a little thought and some adaptation, and then some adoption… it’s super exciting.”
Perhaps now is the time for the music industry to take note.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
